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I have a Canon 6D and a Speedlite 430EX II. It supports HHS, which works fine when the flash is mounted on the camera.

Since I'd like to use it off-camera I bought the inexpensive Yongnuo triggers RF-603II, but it seems that they don't work on exposures shorter than 1/250. This is unfortunate, because in some occasions I need faster speeds, like when I shoot with a wide aperture. Then, because of the ambient light, I need to decrease the shutter speed.

Is there a way to use HSS off-camera with the current equipment, or with additional minimum investment?

If it makes any difference, I also have the Yongnuo flash YN560III.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I have the YN-622c triggers. They didn't work with Canon 6D + 430EX II using HSS. \$\endgroup\$
    – samueldc
    Dec 29, 2014 at 19:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ @SamuelCasimiro. That's weird. According to the TOYUG, probably the best source of information on 622 compatibility/usage, the 6D and 430EXII were in the test equipment group, and work just fine for HSS. Did you set HSS via the camera? The 622s will overwrite on-flash settings with the camera menu settings. \$\endgroup\$
    – inkista
    Dec 29, 2014 at 20:58

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There's no way to use HSS between your 6D and 430EX or YN560III with those triggers. The triggers themselves are not capable of syncing at faster than 1/320 second for a single pulse.

Some triggers that communicate with the camera via the hot shoe such as the Pocket Wizard MiniTT1 transmitter and FlexTT5 receiver are capable of HSS with Canon flashes, but whether you consider a little over $400 USD additional minimum investment or not is up to you.

Depending on the distances involved, a longer E-TTL cord (or this one) might be an acceptable option.

Another option is to use a Neutral density filter to allow you to shoot at the apertures you want without exceeding your camera's sync speed. You may or may not have enough power with the 430EX II or the YN560III to provide enough fill when using an ND filter, but if that is the case then using them in HSS mode would provide even less power to offset the same bright conditions!

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the reply. A wired remote is also acceptable if it supports HSS. I will then go for it. \$\endgroup\$
    – user26804
    May 12, 2014 at 14:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ Also, the Canon ST-E2 supports HSS mode with the 430EX. \$\endgroup\$
    – cmason
    Oct 2, 2014 at 18:34
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    \$\begingroup\$ And the ST-E2 is also around $250, 5-10 times the price of the two E-TTL cords mentioned and far less reliable using optical communication than either the cheaper wired or more expensive radio options. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Oct 3, 2014 at 0:02
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The RF-603IIs are 'manual-only' triggers. They can only transmit two things: the sync signal, and the wake-up signal. They cannot communicate HSS.

The YN-560III is a 'manual-only' flash. If you look at the foot, you'll see that it only has the single sync signal pin. It cannot do wake-up. It cannot do HSS. It cannot do eTTL. Its built-in RF receiver is only good with the RF-602, RF-603, and RF-603II triggers.

This is why these pieces of gear are so cheap.

So, if you want off-camera HSS over radio, and you're on a low budget, and are willing to buy Yongnuo gear, as it seems you are, you will have to up the budget a bit and go with the YN-622C triggers [~$80-$85 per pair], and, if you wanted additional lights to go with your 430EXII, the YN-568EX or YN-568EXII. You could also use a YN-500EX, but it's not as powerful as your 430EXII. You can tell the Canon version of the YN-568EX from the Nikon version by the color of the lettering: Canon's silver; Nikon's gold. You could also get an additional 622C for the YN-560III, but it would remain a manual-only flash.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the explanation. I'd buy the YN-622 triggers, but the flash YN-560III is not compatible with them, so they would find only partial use. \$\endgroup\$
    – user26804
    May 12, 2014 at 14:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yeah, it's a drag that YN has three separate triggering systems (60x, 622, and RT), all of which are incompatible with each other. However, the 622C will still make your 560 fire in sync, and you can upgrade the flash later. You can also stack a 603ii on top of a 622C. \$\endgroup\$
    – inkista
    May 12, 2014 at 17:11
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You need to ensure the remote triggers you get are high-speed-sync compatible. I have the 430 EX II flash too, and ended up buying the Pixel King wireless flash triggers, which work a treat, and are MUCH cheaper than their Pocket Wizard equivalents.

There is however a little quirk with these which is that if you're just using them normally, and want to use manual flash control (ie, set 1/2, 1/4 power etc), then you can't actually do it on the flash unit unless you turn OFF the wireless receiver that it is mounted to. An odd one for sure that drove me nuts until I figured it out.

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Is there a way to use HSS off-camera with the current equipment, or with additional minimum investment?

You can use a Canon 90EX as a relatively inexpensive ($129) master unit that will drive the 430EX II in slave mode. The 90EX doesn't offer high speed sync itself, but it works fine with the 6D to trigger slaves such as the 430EX II that can do HSS.

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I bought the Neewer/Viltrox f210. They doo Ettl and HSS. Their only drawback is they're not very rugged. Functionally they are fine. $50/pair so I bought and extra two

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Do they support HSS off camera? \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Oct 2, 2014 at 17:28

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